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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wound — an injury
  4. current — happening now
  5. deal — to handle
  6. present — a gift
  7. current — electric
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. current — of water
  12. present — there
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. present — the time now
  16. tube — the underground
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. swing — in golf
  19. wound — an injury
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. tube — a container

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com